220
LENIN MISCELLANY

2) Who was the rapporteur?
3) What materials on this matter have been requested and received from the localities? (descriptions of factories? the latest reports of these factories, etc.?).
4) A brief enumeration in 2–3 lines of each of the documents (date? from whom is the document? on what subject?—the query sent; the response received; the such-and-such report taken from the archive; the conclusion of such-and-such a specialist, etc.).

To the Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the National Economy and the Administrative Division of the Council of People's Commissars—verify in person and by telephone the swift execution.

Chairman of the Council of Labor and Defense
Lenin

7942

TO THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS

November 23, 1921

*Confidential*

Yesterday the Council of People's Commissars referred to your commission the question of the contract with Steinberg. Today in *Izvestia* Gorsky calculates that Steinberg on 100,000 kilos of saccharin will make a profit of 194 *billion* sovrubles (whereas it will cost him 600,000 rubles per kilo, i.e., all 100,000 kilos will cost 60,000 million = 60 billion; percentage of profit therefore 194 : 60 = 323%).

If Gorsky's calculation is correct, then the profit is gigantic. It seems the RSFSR has a share of the superprofits, counting as superprofits those exceeding 250%.?

Is it not possible to

(1) haggle so that we receive a special share of the superprofits, counting as superprofits 100 or 200%?

(2) specially secure for ourselves the possibility of training our people (especially in the Centrosoyuz) in the methods and organization of commerce?

(3) specially secure for ourselves the possibility of terminating the contract sooner, when we, fools, have learned from smart people.

In my opinion, the contract, after haggling a hundred times and checking a hundred times, should still be concluded, for fools must pay a high price for learning.

I request your response.

Chairman of the Council of Labor and Defense
Lenin

*1921 YEAR*

8

MEMORANDUM TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS

932

February 17, 1922

I have still not received, despite my letter, the report on the expedition concerning the clarification of the Ridder concession. Obtain from the representative of the commission that traveled there such a report by tomorrow, no more than two pages in any case.

I fear that with us, as is customary, the report turns out to be a whole volume, which no one will read.

Contact formally with the chairman of the commission and with Krzhizhanovsky, who has made me unfulfilled promises*.

Lenin

8269

LETTER TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS

February 21, 1922

Both summaries are compiled badly. They do not know how to separate technique from economics—conclusions from conditions.

I propose to you:

1) Ensure that both the Supreme Council of the National Economy and the State Planning Commission separately give in a short timeframe their conclusion, signed by responsible persons.

2) Undertake at once reconnaissance measures so that we can from *all* members of Mikhailov's commission *individually* and with the slightest possibility of them agreeing with one another (it is your business to arrange this cleverly: get in touch with everyone, at what hours each is free, "pick them up" with motorcyclists, etc.), obtain a written and signed opinion.

3) The opinion should follow the following program (explanations and remarks separately).

1. Possible extraction at .... mil. r. [in] gold.
a) now
b) with additional expenditure of ...... mill. r. [in] gold in the period of
...... years.

(separately for Kyshtym, Ridder, Ekibastuz, Tanalyк).

* The memorandum was dictated by V. I. Lenin over the telephone. Published from a typewritten copy.